April 11, 2012 ■ Stories about local schools, students and issues related to learning
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25

How a local private school unknowingly hired a teacher
with a decades-long history of child molestation allegations

T

he teacher arrived with excellent credentials and more than 20 years of experience
in the classroom when he accepted a position last year at a private school in Menlo Park.
What the school didn’t know — until
informed by the Almanac — was that he also
came with a trail of allegations of child molestation involving students he taught at previous
schools in three states, starting in the 1970s.
The school didn’t know because like most
other schools, public and private, it conducted
only the state-mandated criminal history check,
and the teacher had never been charged with a
crime or prosecuted. A simple Google search
for the teacher’s name, however, would have
revealed a great deal and raised alarms.
“We of course take these allegations seriously,
and we will investigate them immediately,” the
principal of the school wrote in an email to the
Almanac after being informed of the prior allegations. “We will be treating this as a confidential personnel matter and will have no further
comment.”
Within a week, the teacher no longer worked
at the school.

ally came about as a result of prospective hires
listing online profiles, such as Twitter and
LinkedIn accounts, on their applications. One
human resources administrator at a school that
conducts informal Internet searches described
the state-mandated process as adequate, but not
perfect.
“I think the current process identifies people
with criminal histories. Obviously if the person
has never been arrested, it doesn’t help. Also
people change over time. There is no way to
predict the future,” she said. “I think reference
checks are only slightly helpful. Because of
legal problems, people may give very positive
references, but will almost never say anything
negative.”
Teaching history

The Almanac was tipped off by a former friend
and colleague of the teacher living out-of-state
who had sought to reconnect with the teacher after
losing contact years earlier. Much to the friend’s
surprise, when she began searching the Internet
for his name she came across several newspaper
reports about molestation allegations.

When background checks
miss the mark
By Sandy Brundage

Hole in the safety net

Apart from schools conducting more careful
background checks that include Internet searches, preventing similar experiences is easier said
than done.
According to the California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing, the state maintains
a confidential database of complaints against
teachers in public schools, but can only publicly
disclose “final adverse actions” taken. In this
case, those actions would come about only after
charges or convictions. As a result, the teacher
referred to in this article retains his state teaching credential.
The state doesn’t maintain a similar database
for private schools, which don’t require teaching
credentials and essentially operate as independent businesses, according to the California
Department of Education.
The Almanac surveyed public and private
schools in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Atherton,
and Mountain View to find out whether any
conducted a more thorough background check
than mandated by state law. Administrators
were more comfortable discussing their policies
off the record. Only three of the 18 schools said
they used Internet and social media searches as
part of the hiring process.
Of the schools that do, the searches gener-

When she tracked him down and found
that he was still teaching, she became
concerned and began reconnecting with
other former colleagues and students to
help her decide what to do.
She discovered several of his former students who revealed that
the teacher had molested them
and who were willing to share
their stories publicly. Three
had previously filed police
reports that led to investigations in California,
including one within
the last year about incidents that occurred
during the 1970s.
No charges have
ever been brought
because time allotted by the statute
of limitations had
passed. None of the
victims has filed
civil lawsuits against
the teacher.
The Almanac is
not disclosing his name
See BACKGROUND CHECKS, page 19

Lands of Shorenstein
The District Board of West Bay Sanitary District finds and determines as follows:
A.
This Resolution of Intention is adopted pursuant to the District’s “Zone Master Annexation
Resolution” (“ZOMAR”), which was adopted by the District Board August 12, 1996. The provisions of ZOMAR are
incorporated by reference into this Resolution of Intention.
B.
The District has received an application to annex a parcel of real property (the “Parcel”) to the
District’s On-Site Wastewater Disposal Zone (the “Zone”). The Parcel is described in Exhibit “A” attached to this
Resolution of Intention and the description contained in the Exhibits are incorporated by reference. The name and
address of the applicants and the number, type, volume and location of on-site wastewater disposal systems which
are proposed to operate on the parcels to be annexed are described in Exhibit “B” attached to this Resolution of
Intention and the information contained in the Exhibit are incorporated by reference.

C.
The applicants have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the District Board that the Parcel constitutes “real property” for the purposes of Section 2(b) of ZOMAR in that:
X

All of the conditions described in Subsections i., ii., iii., iv. and v. of ZOMAR Section 2(b) are
satisfied; or
Other conditions exist which demonstrate that the Parcel will benefit directly or indirectly from
the activities of the Zone. If applicable, those conditions are also set forth in Exhibit “B” and are
incorporated by reference.

D.

All of the conditions and requirements of ZOMAR Sections 2(a), 2(c), 2(d) and 2(e) have been fully satisfied.

In consideration of the foregoing findings and determinations,
IT IS RESOLVED by the District Board as follows:
1.

It is the intention of the District Board to annex the Parcel to the Zone pursuant to the provisions of ZOMAR
and applicable provisions of law.

2.

In conjunction with a meeting of the District Board to be duly and regularly called and conducted, the Board
will conduct a Public Hearing for the purpose of considering all matters pertaining to this Resolution of
Intention.
The time, date and place of the Public Hearing are:
Date: May 9, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: West Bay Sanitary District Offices
500 Laurel Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Serving the community for over 22 years

At the Public Hearing, all interested persons will be heard.
3.

This Resolution of Intention shall be published and copies shall be delivered to the persons and entities as
specified in ZOMAR Section 2(e)(i.).

4.

A true copy of this Resolution of Intention shall promptly be filed for record in the office of the County
Recorder of the County of San Mateo.

5.

The District Manager shall cause the matters set forth in Sections 3 and 4 of this Resolution of Intention to
be completed as directed.

Are you getting the service you
deserve? We answer our phones.
Charlie Porter
Farmers Agency ®
License # 0773991

ALL THAT REAL PROPERTY SITUATE IN THE TOWN
OF PORTOLA VALLEY, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO,
STATE OF CALIFORNIA DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
ALL OF THAT PARCEL AS SAID PARCEL IS
SHOWN ON THAT CERTAIN RECORD OF SURVEY
MAP ENTITLED ”RECORD OF SURVEY PORTION OF
LANDS OF SHORENSTEIN AS DESCRIBED IN DEED
RECORDED IN VOL 6948 O.R. PG. 10” FILED IN THE
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF THAT SAID
COUNTY AND STATE, ON THE 16TH DAY OF MARCH
1977 IN VOLUME 8 OF L.L.S. MAPS AT PAGES 65.

671-A Oak Grove Ave
Menlo Park
650-327-1313
cporter2@farmersagent.com

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The Almanac’s
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coverage of
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Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/Almanac

18 N The Almanac N April 11, 2012

S C H O O L S

ness recruiters had rejected a
candidate based on social media
continued from page 17
profiles.
because the incidents are alleged
He listed several concerns.
to have happened so long ago,
Employers, including schools,
the teacher has never been
might find information that
arrested or charged or sued, Accountability
they legally canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider when
How thorough should a back- hiring, such as an applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
and he denied the allegations
through his attorney. He has ground check be? State Senator religious affiliation. To saferetired from teaching now and Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said guard against that, an employer
left California, the attorney said. heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surprised by how many may contract a third party to
The Almanac is also not disclos- employers in any kind of busi- conduct the checks, but then
ing such details as the names of ness, not just schools, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do a they also need to be sure the
alleged victims or specific dates minimal check by picking up a check complies with the Fair
that could unmask his identity. phone or querying Google.
Credit Reporting Act. The lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Online is a pretty easy and provisions include getting the
During the 1990s, police in
another city ran into a dead end immediate, albeit imperfect, permission of the job applicant
due to the statute of limitations screen,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The challenge and ensuring that the informaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; several alleged victims were with the online world is that tion is accurate â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a challenge
adults before they came forward itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unregulated and unreliable. in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;anything goesâ&#x20AC;? online
to report their encounters with Anyone can say anything and I environment.
the teacher as teens â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
If the search turns up
and because the foster
information used to
parents of one child did
deny someone a job,
With no charges and
not want the boy to
the applicant is legally
testify. The investigaentitled to know what
no arrests, the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
tion stalled despite the
the information is and
man admitting to havwhere it came from
background turns up only
ing sexual contact with
before that decision
in newspaper articles
two boys, according to a
becomes final, accordpolice report obtained by
ing to Mr. Gordon.
archived by Google and
the Almanac.
He said that
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was stuff that
employers running
in online forums.
was not some accidental
searches on their own
touching or rubbing of
should make sure that
body parts. This was
all applicants are subpurposeful and intenject to the same searchtional and amounted to moles- think you have to be very mind- es, and decide how long to keep
tation,â&#x20AC;? the deputy police chief, ful of that.
the search results on file in
â&#x20AC;&#x153;But why on earth wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t case a hiring decision gets chalwho had participated in the
investigation as an officer, told you take 60 seconds to Google a lenged.
name and see what pops up? See
the Almanac.
Should schools be required to
With no charges and no if it raises questions that should conduct Internet searches as part
arrests, the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s background be asked and answered.â&#x20AC;?
of their background checks? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Drawing on his experience more of a policy decision for the
turns up only in newspaper articles archived by Google and in as a school board member and state Legislature, Mr. Gordon
online forums â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not the state- practitioner of school law, Sen. said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth exploring, for
mandated Livescan and DMV Simitian said that too often, sure.â&#x20AC;?
background checks that schools schools decide to get rid of an
He described a sound policy
employee quickly with a quiet as one that identifies who will
use to screen job applicants.
The Almanac interviewed 10 dismissal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would encourage do the search, which sites will
former students and colleagues every school or school district be searched with what keywho knew the teacher decades to ask themselves, can we in words, who will review the
ago. One alleged victim, now good conscience simply brush results, how discriminatory
a grown man with children of this under the carpet? Or do we or unreliable information will
his own, went to police in 1996 have an obligation to confront be filtered out, how results get
upon learning that his former the problem in a way that helps communicated to the decisionteacher wanted to adopt a boy. ensure that this is not a problem maker, and how long results are
He said he met the man as a simply passed along to the next kept.
12-year-old after transferring school?â&#x20AC;?
The principal of the Menlo
Those may be hard questions, Park school that hired the teachto a new school in another state.
The two eventually became Sen. Simitian noted, but they er declined to discuss whether
so close that they even lived must be asked â&#x20AC;&#x153;when talking its hiring procedures would
together for several years in the about employees whose mis- change, saying only that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we
wake of a rocky family relation- conduct is so egregious that they are addressing this internally.â&#x20AC;?
can really do serious harm to the The school decided against
ship.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want other victims to know next student.â&#x20AC;?
informing parents of the reason
Internet searches create their for the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s departure. The
theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not alone and to somehow stop (him),â&#x20AC;? he told the own set of legal issues, however. chairperson of the school board
â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems easy, like why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t of trustees also refused to comAlmanac.
When the teacher resigned we just Google everyone?â&#x20AC;? said ment.
from a position in 2002 in the Philip Gordon, an attorney
Through his attorney, the
wake of allegations of inappro- with the San Francisco-based teacher denied any sexual mispriate conduct with a student at law firm Littler Mendelson who conduct, including the incidents
a school in another state, hun- specializes in privacy protection he admitted years ago to the
dreds of parents and students and gives nationwide presenta- police. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have known (him) for
tions on social media issues more than 50 years and can
came to the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense.
One alleged victim said: for employers. He referred to a attest to his honesty, integrity
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got survey by social media monitor- and excellence as an educator,â&#x20AC;?
to get â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he has done amazing ing service Reppler last year that his attorney commented in an
things with kids that were life found 69 percent of 300 busi- email to the Almanac.
BACKGROUND CHECKS

changing. For those people that
heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helped so much thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no
capacity or context for them to
see him in that other life. And
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK.â&#x20AC;?

Judy McLachlan
On March 27th, Judith Sutton McLachlan died
peacefully surrounded by her family and went home
to the Lord. Judy devoted her life to loving the Lord,
her family and friends. She will be dearly missed.
Judy grew up in Wilmington, DE, graduated from
high school in 1957 and from Miami University of
Ohio in 1961. She married her husband, Murray
(Tich) in 1971, had two children and lived all over the
world including England, South Africa, New Jersey,
Japan, and California.
Judy worked in education, counseling and
administration but her true passion was being a
homemaker and mother. She loved doing activities
with her family including traveling, camping, hiking,
tennis, and attending Giants baseball and Stanford
basketball games. She loved music and grew up
playing cello. She was her children’s biggest advocate

and her husband’s biggest
support. She inspired all her
family and friends to love the
Lord, be joyful always, and to
embrace sickness and death
with dignity.
She is survived by her
devoted husband, Tich,
daughter, Tracey (Ryan), and son, Murray (Muriel),
and ﬁve grandchildren. She is also survived by her
sister, Deborah, brother, Daniel, and her faithful
caregiver, Carmen.
A celebration of life memorial service will be held
at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on April 14th at
10:30 am.
In lieu of ﬂowers, donations may be made to
CITITEAM or World Vision.
PA I D

O B I T UA RY

Earl S. Skidmore

1925 - 2012
Long-time resident of Los Altos, California
Earl S. Skidmore was born February 4, 1925
in Salt Lake City, Utah to Dr. Earl L. Skidmore
and Nora Swaner Skidmore. He attended East
High School, in SLC, and started college at
the University of Utah in 1942. His education
and varsity basketball play was interrupted by
two years of service in the U.S. Navy. Upon
his return to the “U” he ﬁnished his degree in
Sociology/Anthropology and continued as an
active member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. It
was at the University of Utah that he met his
future wife, Elies Yeates
Earl and Elies were married in 1947 and moved
to Spokane, Washington where Earl worked
for Phillips Petroleum and played on their elite
basketball team. In 1950 the couple relocated
to the Bay Area where Earl owned and operated
four gas stations, “Skid’s Royal Stations”. In 1958
he started Pressure Vessel Service, (later named
Basic Chemical Solutions) a chemical company
located in Redwood City, to which he devoted
over 30 years of hard work to ensure its success.
He also dedicated much time to professional and
community associations.
In his retirement Earl “Skid” enjoyed

vacationing
in
Lake
Tahoe,
photog r aphy,
gardening, cooking
and telling a good
story. His unique
wit and sense of
humor will be
missed by all who
knew him.
With loving hearts and many fond memories,
Earl is survived by his wife, Elies Yeates Skidmore,
Los Altos, sons, Earl Skidmore, Menlo Park,
James (Jim) Skidmore, Roseville, Jeffrey (Jeff)
Skidmore, Menlo Park and daughter, Phoebe
Clement, Los Altos, eleven grandchildren and six
great grandchildren.
The family plans a private ceremony. In lieu of
ﬂowers please send donations to:
Tahoe Rim Trail Association
948 Incline Way
Incline Village, NV 89451
Or online at www.tahoeremtrail.org.
PA I D